Informal Labor Markets After Disasters
Evidence From Rural and Urban Low‐Income Communities in Puerto Rico
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10764484 |
|---|---|
| Authors | José Caraballo-Cueto (0000-0002-5326-0071, Graduate School of Business University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras San Juan, Puerto Rico USA), Jose Caraballo‐Cueto (University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 107 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Science Quarterly (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0038-4941 • E-ISSN: 1540-6237 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/ssqu.70148 |
| OpenAlex | W7140084605 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 30 |
Objective Previous research has shown the impact of disasters on the formal labor market at the county and city levels, but there is little research evaluating informal labor markets after three consecutive natural events affecting marginalized communities. We selected Puerto Rico, a territory impacted by three disasters, for a case study. Method Official surveys do not usually obtain data from marginalized communities. We conducted a survey and found that the post‐disaster dynamics differ among marginalized communities. Findings Proximity to the center of the disaster, demography, and whether the setting is rural or urban can modify a community's post‐disaster labor market. In the case of the informal labor market, our findings contradict the official statistics and challenge the widespread stereotype that most adults in impoverished communities do not work when aid is received. Despite the aid received during the pandemic lockdown and the lower educational attainment in these communities than in the broader Puerto Rican population, both the case study communities exhibited relatively high labor attachment
Educational attainment · General Social Survey · Informal sector · Pandemic · Rural area · Stereotype (UML) · Survey data collection · Work (physics) · Climate Change, Adaptation, Migration · Disaster Management and Resilience · Disaster Response and Management
Climate change effects on vulnerable populations in the Global South
Disaster governance, energy insecurity, and public health in rural Puerto Rico
Race and Racism as Structural Determinants for Emergency and Recovery Response in the Aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico
A review of current population databases on Puerto Rico
The economic growth impact of natural disasters in developing countries
The Role of Community in Disaster Response
Informality and Latino‐Owned Businesses
When Nature Pushes Back
Colorism and Health Disparities in Home Countries
The coloniality of disaster
Racialization and Rescaling
| Highly cited | No |
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